Don’t be alarmed if you are walking back to your dorm late one night and hear the sounds of guitars and drums. Four freshmen living in Ledges have formed their own band.
Eli Olken-Dann, Chris Laurenzo, Paul Crevier and Sean O’Hara, all Mass Communications majors, met early in the semester and have gotten to know each other through their musical interests.
The yet unnamed band has recently gained exposure at Quinnipiac sponsored events, like last October’s “QU Idol,” where they earned third place out of 18 competitors.
Next on the band’s agenda is the Acoustic Cafe Night, held on Dec. 8. The event is sponsored by the freshman class.
Guitars and drums are accompanied by lyrics written by Laurenzo. Laurenzo said he has penned more than 20 original songs. His song-writing came naturally, despite not having any formal creative writing concentration so far.
“I hope there will be a collaboration [of writing with all members], but for now, I do the songwriting,” said Laurenzo.
Besides several original songs, the group also performs cover songs, including songs by Oasis, Weezer, Pearl Jam and the Beatles.
Trying to gain exposure, the band often plays for other students in their dorm rooms, or in the study lounges in the Ledges.
Olken-Dann remembers one time when the group was performing in front of Irmagarde Tator Hall and passers-by stopped to drop change in their guitar cases.
“One guy joked that he’d come back with a twenty dollar check,” Olken-Dann said laughing.
Security guards have also frequented the group’s practices, which are usually held in a dorm room where two of the members are roommates.
Security often alerts the band that other students on their floor have been making complaints, angering Laurenzo. The group has since been prohibited from practicing in the quiet study lounge.
The band agreed that their noise level is just as loud as the other rooms on their floor and in their building.
“It bothers me when people call security at 5 o’clock on a Saturday,” Laurenzo said.
However, each of the band members has their own preferences when it comes to practice routines.
“We practice as much as possible, whenever everyone has free time,” says Olken-Dann, adding that they usually can only afford 30 to 45 minutes at a time.
The other guys added that if they had more of a listener base, they would consider relocating to another larger location on campus to practice. But for now, the members use their dorm room as a practice space.
When practicing, drummer Sean O’Hara usually likes to just make up music as he goes along.
“I don’t like sitting down and jamming to something that’s on the radio,” he said.
Instead, O’Hara prefers doing his own thing and seeing where he fits into the other parts of the musical collaboration.
“It’s easier to communicate and get used to the other members in your band,” said O’Hara. “You learn to read each other’s minds.”
For a few of the members, being in this new band at QU gives them a chance to expand on what they did in their respective bands from high school.
Practicing and performing together allowed Crevier and Laurenzo an outlet to expand their musical background, which includes five years of practicing the guitar.
Singer Olken-Dann has not had any prior singing experience. Three of the members host their own radio shows at WQAQ on weekends and Tuesdays.
In addition to holding practices, the band is working on creating a web site for the band, and they are planning on recording some of their songs in the very near future.
An ongoing process for the members is the never-ending search for the perfect group name.
“It’s a long process to think of your band’s name,” says Laurenzo. “We want people to remember something good.”
The band is also in search of a new bass player, with experience working as a member of a band. Any interested musicians should e-mail Chris Laurenzo at Christopher.Laurenzo@quinnipiac. edu.